Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, stops by a presidential debate watch party after the debate in Philadelphia, on Sept. 10.HAIYUN JIANG/The New York Times News Service

One of the great unexplained mysteries in recent U.S. politics remains Kamala Harris’s transformation from a failed Vice-President into a transformational presidential candidate who can take the country in a fresh new direction.

Barely a year ago, Ms. Harris set a record for the lowest net-favourability rating of any U.S. vice-president going back decades. Her rare official appearances were stiff and scripted, and the White House seemed eager to keep her out of the public eye.

It turns out President Joe Biden’s declining mental acuity wasn’t the only cover-up going on in Washington. Ms. Harris’s political talents now appear to have been a closely guarded secret for reasons that remain couched in intrigue.

Not surprisingly, many American voters remained unsure about Ms. Harris after her coronation as the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee. Many of them have had a hard time squaring her stint as Vice-President with her spectacular media makeover.

Ms. Harris went a good way toward dispelling those doubts at last month’s Democratic National Convention,........

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